Maasai herders raid Koinange farm, destroy crops

Tensions are high in Muthera farm, Njoro, after Maasai herders raided and grazed their cattle on the 4296 acres farm owned by former cabinet minister Mbiyu Koinange and leased by farmers, destroying crops worth millions of shillings.

According to the farm’s assistant manager, Edward Kibe, their woes begun after a Maasai activist, Joseph Mpoe, allegedly incited the herders to graze their cattle on the farm saying it belonged to them.

Kibe said that farmers have lost produce worth millions but managed to confiscate more than 60 cows, 300 goats and 19 donkeys.

Gerald Onyiso, a carrot famer, said he has incurred a loss of over Sh250,000 after the livestock trampled on his carrots which are his only source of livelihood.

Samuel Maina, a pea farmer, said it was devastating because the Maasai community constantly harasses farmers who have leased the land and appealed to the county government to intervene and solve the problem once and for all.

Efforts to reach the Koinange family on the issue had not borne fruit by the time this article was published.